AirGap Wallet’s tzBTC support

For those immersed in Tezos ecosystem, tzBTC is an exciting addition. AirGap has been one of the first Wallets to support tzBTC. Now, tzBTC has come up with a new update has which expands the tzBTC support to new users as well. tzBTC and AirGap share a key trait: their flexibility

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AirGap

4 min readMay 27, 2024

As a tokenized form of Bitcoin on the Tezos blockchain, tzBTC offers the benefits of both worlds: the stability and value of Bitcoin combined with the speed and efficiency of the Tezos network. This flexibility allows users to transact more quickly and at lower fees than traditional Bitcoin transactions.

AirGap, or specifically AirGap Vault, on the other hand, portrays its flexibility by allowing users to leverage a spare phone and turn it into a cold wallet. Allowing everybody to utilize battle-tested security hardware (secure enclave and Trusted execution environment) as well as authentication elements such as fingerprint or face recognition between the hot wallet (e.g. MetaMask, AirGap Wallet, imToken Wallet, Rabby Wallet and many more) does not require a cable, instead, AirGap Vault uses the QR Codes scanning technology (ERC4527 standard) to guarantee a truly air-gapped communication. To know more about AirGap, check out our setup guide here.

What’s new in tzBTC?

As mentioned before tzBTC is a wrapped BTC Token that comes with all the advantages of such. Previously, tzBTC was only accessible to large brokers or similar entities, which limited its availability for individual users.

However, with the new tzBTC standard, tzBTC can now be accessed and used by anyone who completes the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. This means that individual users can benefit from holding and trading tzBTC on the Tezos blockchain.

The tzBTC bridge is built on technology from Acurast, to bridge from BTC to tzBTC, a user sends BTC to a Bitcoin RedeemScript governed by the keyholders and their Acurast processors. These Acurast processors observe and verify this transaction on multiple Bitcoin nodes. Once confirmed, the Acurast processors act as signers authorized to sign a minting transaction on the tzBTC contract on Tezos.

Acurast is the serverless, decentralized cloud where anyone can become part of the cloud with their mobile phone, whether new, used, or even with a smashed screen, by providing compute power and earning rewards.

Visit the tzBTC website: https://tzbtc.io/

Store your tzBTC with AirGap

AirGap is the haven for storing your funds, including tzBTC, for several reasons. AirGap prioritizes security by separating transaction signing from the device connected to the internet. This air-gapped approach ensures your private keys are never exposed online, keeping your funds safe from potential cyber threats.

AirGap Wallet has supported Tezos since a long time. It also allows you to Delegate your XTZ via the app itself. Users were also able to change to their desired baker to promote Wallet’s flexibility.

How to store tzBTC on AirGap

To add the tzBTC token to AirGap you need to have a Tezos (XTZ) account in AirGap Wallet. If you are setting up AirGap the first time, you can follow this step by step guide.
After you have connected your Tezos account to AirGap Wallet, click on it.